Centaurus is a prominent constellation in the southern sky. Centaurus, one of the largest constellations, was included in Claudius Ptolemy's list of forty-eight constellations in the second century, and it is still one of the eighty-eight current constellations. Centaurus is a centaur in Greek mythology, a half human monster, and half horse (another constellation named after a centaur is one from the zodiac: Sagittarius).
Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to the Solar System, Beta Centauri, it is neighbour in the sky, and V766 Centauri, one of the biggest stars yet discovered, are all notable stars. Omega Centauri, the brightest globular cluster visible from Earth and the largest identified in the Milky Way, maybe a remnant of a dwarf galaxy, is also seen in this constellation. |
Mythology
Centaurus was an equatorial constellation during the birth of civilization, but it today has a high southern latitude. For millennia, precession has progressively shifted it southerly, and it is now close to its maximum southern declination. It will be visible at times throughout the year up to quite a high northern latitude in a little over seven thousand years for individuals in the northern hemisphere. Centaurus traces its origins to a Babylonian constellation known as the Bison-man (MUL.GUD.ALIM). This entity was shown in two distinct forms: first, as a four-legged bison with a human head, and second, as a being with a man's head and torso joined to a bull or bison's back legs and tail. From ancient times, it has been strongly linked with the Sun god Utu-Shamash. The constellation was given its name by the Greeks, who pictured it as a centaur. Eudoxus noted it in the fourth century BC, while Aratus mentioned it in the third century BC. Claudius Ptolemy catalogued thirty-seven stars in Centaurus in the second century AD, including Alpha Centauri. The constellation Lupus was viewed as an asterism within Centaurus in previous times and was shown in pictures as an unnamed animal either in the centaur's hands or impaled on its spear. (Allen 1963) The ancients treated the Southern Cross, which is today considered a different constellation, as a simple asterism made up of the stars that make up the centaur's legs. Under the centaur's front hooves, what is now the minor constellation Circinus was considered an undefined star. The constellation celebrates the centaur Chiron, who was a tutor to many of the early Greek heroes, including Heracles (Hercules), Theseus, and Jason, the captain of the Argonauts, according to the Roman poet Ovid (Fasti v.379). It should not be mistaken with the more warlike centaur symbolised by the zodiac sign Sagittarius. Chiron was poisoned accidentally by an arrow shot by Hercules, according to tradition, and was afterwards placed in the sky. (Ridpath & Tirion 2017) The stars of Centaurus are divided into three groups in Chinese astronomy: the Azure Dragon of the East (東方青龍, Dōng Fāng Qīng Lóng), the Vermillion Bird of the South (南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què), and the Southern Asterisms (近南極星區, Jìnnánjíxīngōu). Because not all of the stars in Centaurus can be viewed from China, Xu Guangqi classed the unseen stars as Southern Asterisms based on his study of western star charts. However, most of Centaurus' brightest stars can be seen in the Chinese sky, including Centauri, Centauri (or Menkent), Centauri, and Centauri. |
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Deep Space Objects
NGC 5139 – Globular Cluster – Omega Centauri
NGC 3766 – Open Cluster
NGC 5460 – Open Cluster
NGC 3918 – Planetary Nebula
NGC 4622 – Unbarred Spiral Galaxy
NGC 5253 – Irregular Galaxy
NGC 2102 – Lenticular Galaxy
NGC 5128 – Centarus A Galaxy
NGC 4650A – Polar-ring Lenticular Galaxy
Centaurus Cluster – Cluster of Galaxies
Main stars – 11
Bayer stars – 69
Stars with planets - 15
Stars brighter than magnitude 3.0 – 10
Stars closer than 32ly – 8
Bordering
constellations
Meteor showers
NGC 5139 – Globular Cluster – Omega Centauri
NGC 3766 – Open Cluster
NGC 5460 – Open Cluster
NGC 3918 – Planetary Nebula
NGC 4622 – Unbarred Spiral Galaxy
NGC 5253 – Irregular Galaxy
NGC 2102 – Lenticular Galaxy
NGC 5128 – Centarus A Galaxy
NGC 4650A – Polar-ring Lenticular Galaxy
Centaurus Cluster – Cluster of Galaxies
Main stars – 11
Bayer stars – 69
Stars with planets - 15
Stars brighter than magnitude 3.0 – 10
Stars closer than 32ly – 8
Bordering
constellations
- Antlia
- Carina
- Circinus
- Crux
- Hydra
- Libra (corner)
- Lupus
- Musca
- Vela
Meteor showers
- Alpha Centaurids – Early February – 3 per hour
- Omicron Centaurids – January – February (peak mid-Feb) -
- Theta Centaurids – Late-January – mid-March